Own three Spey rods and they're wonderful for streams that are about 20+ yds wide and especially so on big water. Totally different casting action and a bit difficult to master if one has single handed for 20 or 30 seasons. If that's the case, get out with someone with experience for a couple sessions or go to a Spey Clave if there's one in the region. Claves can be great as all kinds of rod builders and line manufacturers show up with gear and one is free to try everything out. Had a Clave here near Portland for about 20 years, and there was probably half a million bucks of gear available to experiment with.
A lot less effort to cast (buddies with shoulder issues have gone that route), as one's hands are rarely if ever above shoulder height. One has more time with his flies in the water too, since there is no false casting.
Spey rods handle wind effectively, and in some instances, wind can be a blessing. Also, one can stand with his back against a wall or beneath an overhead tree and still blast out 40 or 50 yds of line.
I still trout small streams and lakes with my single handers, but exclusively use Spey gear now for steelheading.
The classic Spey rods where huge heavy instruments, but today's gear is extremely light. I still favor long rods (like 15 or 16 footers), but many are going to Scandi or Switch rods that are down into the 9 to 10 foot range and amendable to smaller waters.
Last edited by 1minute; 05/30/23.
